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Last month, I attended RH Horizons’ training session covering HR management software and technology. I felt like sharing my takeaways from the HR management software session as well as write about my personal experience at this event. Special thanks to Romain Charbonneau for his interesting presentation!

What exactly is an HR management software? Generally, these are cloud and web-based solutions designed to help centralize all manners of employee information. From records, training, skills, employee benefits, performance evaluations, candidate management and new employee integration, pretty much everything can be stored in these solutions.

The HR management software industry is a competitive one as well. Thanks to the Internet, access to a variety of competing solutions, both developed within Quebec and internationally, is both quick and easy. This is great for HR professionals as they’ll be able to evaluate various solutions to find the right one for their needs.

While having many options is a good thing, it can also render the HR management software selection process complicated and as confusing as choosing the right toothpaste brand at the pharmacy. Since the HR management software you choose clearly has a stronger impact on your organization and its members than the toothpaste you choose to brush your teeth with in the morning, choosing the right one is an important and delicate process.

 

1. Determining your needs

As Romain mentioned during his presentation, there are no ‘bad’ tools per se, only a bad identification of needs. Before beginning to compare various HR management software solutions, you must first determine the needs of your organization. Here are a few important questions to ask yourself:

  • Which functionalities are deemed absolutely necessary? For example, are being able to look up employee records online and quickly being able to build reports deemed essential features?
  • Who will be using the tool? Will it be used by the HR manager? Departmental managers? By the employees themselves?
  • What type of access and permissions would you like each user to have?
  • Should the software connect directly to your pay system?
  • What is your budget?
  • What is the timeframe for the solution’s implementation?
  • In which ways are you looking to present it to your employees and their managers?

2. Important functionalities to consider

Similar modules are available in all competing HR management solutions. However, some platforms offer more innovative tools than others. Remember to validate the presence of the following features during your product demo:

  • The ability to create workflows: In other words, can certain interactions trigger others to automatically occur?
  • Notifications: Can users be automatically notified when a yearly evaluation is due?
  • Reporting and data analysis: Is the HR management software capable of accumulating data and efficiently producing reports?

3. After-sales service

Business development representatives usually present ideal scenarios and come with many alluring promises. It’s important to remember that, once the HR management software is purchased and implemented, you’ll most likely want to be able to communicate with members of the solution’s team. Making sure that your operating hours and time-zone are compatible with the vendor’s helps ensure quick and easy communication between your organization and them.

By opting for a local vendor, you’ll be able to get in touch with your representative with any questions you may have as soon as they come up. They can then quickly apply any necessary modifications to the platform. Quick service in your language of choice can’t be overlooked!

4. The art of convincing your manager

Once you’ve compared a few HR management software solutions, it’s time to present the one you’ve decided on to your manager.

Both pricing and ROI are two aspects that will be closely examined. If you know the person that will be approving the software’s implementation well enough, make sure to identify the aspects that you think will be most important to them.

  • Efficiency and Effectiveness: Reducing HR management costs, freeing up HR employees from day-to-day administrative activities and internal process optimization are all important to consider.
  • Strategic value: Does the HR management software help with recruiting and employee retention? Does it facilitate new employee management and training, performance evaluations and professional development?
  • Immediate impact: Will the solution quickly make a difference in your HR department, offering more time to implement other initiatives, help better budget your workforce and offer clear performance indicators for your various departments?

 

In the end, while it’s important to make the right choice when it comes to your new HR management software solution, being able to communicate its implementation and use to your team must also be kept in mind. Your manager must approve your new tool and your employees must also adopt it and use it in their day-to-day activities. Keep their needs and concerns in mind when deciding which solution to go with.